Euonymus fortunei
Climbing spindle
Common names: Climbing Euonymus, Fortune's spindle
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Pruning
- Mar–Apr
- Flowering
- Jun–Jul
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Euonymus fortunei, commonly known as the climbing spindle, is an evergreen groundcover and climber in the Celastraceae family. Depending on the cultivar, it can grow low as a mat or climb with adhesive roots up walls and trees several meters high. The leaves are leathery and glossy; many cultivars such as 'Emerald 'n' Gold' and 'Emerald Gauntlet' display striking white or yellow variegation that provides winter color. The plant is highly hardy, tolerating urban climates, drought, and frost. Note: the leaves and especially the small capsule fruits are mildly toxic; avoid direct contact with the fruits for children and pets.
Care instructions
The climbing spindle thrives best in semi‑shaded to sunny locations; full sun can bleach the variegation of some cultivars. It is tolerant of a wide range of soils as long as waterlogging is avoided; a well‑drained, humus‑rich garden soil is sufficient. Water newly planted specimens regularly; established plants can manage with occasional watering during extended dry periods. Prune in early spring, around the end of March to early April (calendar weeks 13 to 14), to maintain shape and remove green shoots on variegated cultivars, which otherwise will outcompete the colorful foliage. For spider mites or scale infestations, a strong water spray and an airy location help the leaves dry quickly.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJun–Jul
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, loamy
Wintercreeper likes loose, humus-rich soil with good drainage and tolerates both slightly acidic and neutral values well. It does not like waterlogging at all; then the roots rot quickly. On sandy, lean sites a helping of compost aids establishment, and on heavy soils coarse sand loosens the structure.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar, May
One application of ripe compost in early spring is usually enough for wintercreeper for the whole season. If you like, also mulch with leaf compost or horn shavings, which feeds it evenly and is gentle on the soil. On lean sites, a second, light application of compost in May helps.
Pruning
Shaping in early spring keeps wintercreeper compact and encourages dense new growth. On variegated varieties, cut out dead or all-green shoots, otherwise they gradually displace the coloured foliage. A light cutback after flowering also helps to keep the shape.
Overwintering
As an evergreen woody plant, wintercreeper is quite hardy here and needs no special protection in mild areas. In harsh, windy areas or with young plants, a mulch layer of leaves or bark mulch protects the roots from frost. It is best to put container plants against a sheltered house wall and wrap the pot, so that the root ball does not freeze through.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Layering
The most reliable way to propagate wintercreeper is from semi-ripe cuttings in summer; weeks 27 to 34 are a good period for this. Cut a piece of shoot with two to three pairs of leaves, remove the lower leaves and insert it into permeable seed compost. In a bright, warm place out of strong sun, the cuttings root within a few weeks. Alternatively, layering shoots close to the ground works well, because wintercreeper forms roots there by itself.
For your garden
Grow Climbing spindle yourself
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